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In Morad Mostafa’s austere and captivating feature debut “Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” the title says it all. An absorbing and at times, puzzling blend of genres ranging from drama to body horror tells the story of an African immigrant who both craves something more and deserves a lot better than the hand she’s been dealt. But like a caged bird, she can’t escape her cruel and imprisoning circumstances.

Played by a terrific Buliana Simon in a precise performance of stoic poise, Aisha is a 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver, tending to the needs of the elderly, helping with their medication and keeping up their apartments. Residing as an immigrant in the bustling city of Cairo, in the tough neighborhood of Ain Shams, she is often observing and narrowly surviving the disorder and violence that erupt in the streets. Her only chance for safety is to cut a dirty deal...

Director Morad Mostafa is celebrating a slew of firsts at Cannes 2025: His debut feature, “Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” will premiere during the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, with his lead actress Buliana Simon Arop (starring as the title character) marking her first role onscreen. “Aisha Can’t Fly Away” is also the first Egyptian film to be included in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 9 years. There seems to be nothing for Mostafa to have to “fly away” from this festival circuit, and the filmmaker is poised to be a breakout star.

“Aisha Can’t Fly Away” centers on 26-year-old Sudanese caregiver, Aisha (Arop), who lives in the heart of Cairo. While there, she witnesses the tension between her fellow African migrants and local gangs, leading to a reckoning of sorts. The official synopsis reads: “Stuck between an undefined relationship with a young Egyptian cook, a gangster that blackmails her into...

Screen can unveil a first look at Mohamed Rashad’s The Settlement, which is set to world premiere in the new competitive Perspectives strand at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival.

Inspired by true events, the story follows two brothers — a 23-year-old troublemaker and his 12-year-old brother — who live in a marginalised community of Alexandria, Egypt. The pair are offered jobs by the local factory after their father’s death in the workplace as compensation for their loss and in lieu of pursuing legal action. But as they navigate their new roles, they begin to question whether their father’s death was truly accidental.

Mad World, the global sales arm of pan-Arab indie outfit Mad Solutions, has acquired international rights to Egyptian director Mohamed Rashad’s “The Settlement” ahead of its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

Inspired by a true story, “The Settlement” – which will launch from Berlin’s new Perspectives section – follows two brothers, the 23-year-old troublemaker Hossam and 12-year-old Maro, who live in a marginalized community in Alexandria. After the death of their father in a factory workplace accident they are hired by the same factory as “compensation” for their loss in lieu of them pursuing legal action.

As they navigate their new jobs, they begin to question whether their father’s death was truly accidental and how to go about settling the matter.

The social thriller marks Rashad’s narrative feature film debut following his 2016 documentary “Little Eagles” which explored 1970s leftist activism in Egypt from the perspective of...

Exclusive: Newly launched Dubai-based sales company Mad World has acquired worldwide rights to Egyptian director Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away, a tense African migrant drama shooting later this year in Egypt.

The title joins the inaugural slate of Mad World, as the Arab cinema-focused sales arm of Mena distributor and talent agency Mad Solutions gears up for its Cannes Market debut next week.

Aisha Can’t Fly Away revolves around the story of Aisha, a 26-year-old African immigrant caregiver residing in Ain-shams, a Cairo neighborhood with a large African migrant community.

The film explores the intricate dynamics of a world where the authorities’ indifference to the violent tensions between Egyptians and various African nationalities has allowed different gangs to seize control. Aisha’s situation turns sour after one of these gangs offers protection in exchange for a favor.

Egypt-based South Sudanese model Buliana Simona plays Aisha in...